


Tastebuds (And Photos Of You)

by jimingyu



Series: Tastebuds [3]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, But also, Continuation of series, M/M, Rated T for swearing, Soulmate AU, he's very shy around soon, mingyu and wonwoo just wanna tease seokmin, photographer soonyoung, seokmin is out of character?, soonyoung is SO CUTE, teacher soonyoung
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-19 05:04:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12403770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jimingyu/pseuds/jimingyu
Summary: Soonyoung is too sweet for Seokmin, which is ironic since Seokmin tastes a fiery spice when he thinks of him.Or: Seokmin just wants his first year of college to go by smoothly. He's sure that it will until the bite of green peppers flourishes on his tongue when he reads one name: Kwon Soonyoung.





	Tastebuds (And Photos Of You)

**Author's Note:**

> hello again! another installment of this au has arrived! this one isn't as taste-centered as the others, but the idea is still present. thank you to everyone who suggested ideas, and kept me motivated to continue this series! i hope you enjoy reading this series as much as i enjoy writing it! 
> 
> ~ cj

~

 

      Seokmin had a plan; a good one actually.

 

\- Live with his parents during his first year of college (reduced stress about food, bills, clean living area, etc.)

\- Keep his part-time job at Vanilla Cafe (he was only in it for the free coffee at this point.) Focus on classes as much as he could in his free time (along with trying not to die.)

\- Text and call Mingyu and Wonwoo whenever they were all free, and have monthly get-togethers (his two best friends had taken the opportunity to go to a different university together, and rent an apartment. Seokmin cried when they told him because he was so proud.)

 

That was it! That’s all he had to do! As long as nothing came in the way of his studies, Seokmin expected that his first year of college would go smoothly. He expected to be well-fed, well-rested, and clean, just like high school. He didn’t expect anything to rile him up this year.

He _expected_ to be fine.

What he _did not_ expect, was a letter in the mail from a Mr. Kwon Soonyoung, introducing himself as the teacher one of Seokmin’s classes that was not required for his major: _Your Future 101._

He also did not expect the bite of green peppers to flourish on his tongue as he read the name:

_Kwon Soonyoung_.

 

~

     Seokmin was frustrated. First of all, he was angry with himself for filling out that optional survey the university had emailed him. This was how Seokmin interpreted it:

**_Have you met your soulmate? Yes __ No ___ **

**_Are you a lonely hermit? Yes __ No ___ **

**_Do you expect to die alone? Yes __ No ___ **

     Okay, so maybe it wasn’t _exactly_ like that, but that’s how it made Seokmin feel. And now, he was sitting on the edge of his bed at ass o’clock in the morning, thinking about his soulmate, and the way Mr. Kwon Soonyoung had smiled at him when he introduced himself, and how Seokmin’s stomach tried to jump into his throat, only to be stopped by the overwhelming taste of an _entire spice rack._

Seokmin literally wanted to vomit in frustration. Not just because of his new teacher, or school, but because of life in general. He was just mad at himself. He was upset with the apprehensiveness he felt whenever he thought of his soulmate, and how he had developed a numbness to bell peppers, and didn’t even question the nausea he felt every Wednesday at 9:15pm. He was frustrated with the “rules” he had to follow to successfully find his soulmate, and he was so beyond pissed that his school required him to take a class called _“Your Future 101”_.

He knew he was doing a shitty job at being a soulmate, and he knew that his soulmate probably hated his guts because all they ever tasted was bile and bananas, but he didn’t need a class to remind him. Then again, he didn’t mind seeing Mr. Kwon Soonyoung’s squishy cheeks and wrinkled khakis three times a week.

(Mingyu would later tell Seokmin that he was “massively fucked”.)

 

~

     Seokmin didn’t have too many responsibilities.

He had to be on time for work four days a week, finish a stupid essay over _fracking_ (fuck fracking, honestly), make sure he had a clean shirt for the next day, and remember to text Mingyu in the morning to tell him, “Mingyu, College Algebra is not a tangible being, therefore, it will not _literally_ kick your ass.”

Those were his duties, and he could handle them. What he could not handle, on the other hand, was Kwon _fucking_ Soonyoung being so _goddamn cute_.

Seriously, _why?_ The universe hated Seokmin; that’s why. He had done something horribly wrong in his past life, and now, the world had given him this stunning piece of man to look at for two hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as punishment. And he couldn’t do anything about it. He just had to suck it up, keep his gaze focused on the desk below him, and try not to think of Soonyoung’s endearingly high-pitched voice, and the way his expression visibly softened when one of the students asked about his soulmate.

“I won’t reveal too much,” he began, a smile adorning his features that rivaled Mingyu’s, in Seokmin’s opinion. “But they _love_ bananas.” Mr. Kwon’s cheeks lifted to his eyes and forced them shut as he smiled at the class.

Seokmin couldn’t help the sudden staccato he felt in his chest.

 

~

 

     By week two of the eight week long class, Seokmin was started to get creeped out with himself. He now knew that Soonyoung was a senior Photography major (with a minor in Literature because, “ _I’ve always enjoyed delving into things that I don’t understand”_ ) at the same university as Seokmin; he didn’t have the attention span for movies, but he _loved_ books; he was a horrible cook but considered himself a food critic in certain situations (“ _Only if the food is really awful_.”); he loved his mother more than anything in the whole world, and he enjoyed rainy days and journaling.

Seokmin would consider himself weird to remember all of that information, but he couldn’t help it. His strange fascination with the teacher was only becoming more obvious to everyone, including Soonyoung himself. Seokmin’s mind liked to torture him with the memory of one exchange in particular:

\- Soonyoung had asked Seokmin to hang back for a few minutes so he could ask him some questions. Seokmin wouldn’t admit it to himself at the moment, but he was scared to death to talk to Soonyoung in _private_ by _request_. Once the other students had cleared the room, Soonyoung took his time erasing the whiteboard while humming a soft melody, and Seokmin felt spicy ramyun crawling up his esophagus.

“Seokmin, I wanted to ask you a couple of questions, if that’s okay with you?” Soonyoung asked, packing a couple of notebooks into a messenger bag, and a large camera into another. Seokmin nodded, but only because he didn’t know what else to do. “You’re a freshman, correct?” Another nod. Soonyoung smiled good-naturedly, and took a step towards forward. Seokmin took a step back.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me, Seokmin. I’m still a student too, I’ve just been here a bit longer than you.” Soonyoung’s smile never dropped at all, and Seokmin felt comforted by it. “I just wanted to ask what your major is. What are you passionate about in this cruel world, Lee Seokmin?” Soonyoung stated this dramatically, and Seokmin couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. “Early childhood education.” he mumbled. Seokmin truly was passionate about his major, but Soonyoung’s gaze made him feel _too_ _comfortable_ , and he didn’t want to let himself fall into a hole he couldn’t climb out of.

“Really? Kids are my specialty! Well, photographing them. Baby shoots, pregnancy announcements, and stuff like that.” Soonyoung seemed genuinely interested in every word that tumbled clumsily past Seokmin’s lips, and it made Seokmin feel warm.

It was then that Seokmin saw Soonyoung look shy for the very first time.

“I actually had something else I wanted to ask you, too.” Soonyoung glanced out the window distractedly, and Seokmin raised an eyebrow to encourage him to keep going. “My photography mentor just assigned me this project called ‘ _Structure_ ’. I have to analyze a someone’s face using photos of that person with different expressions: happiness, content, frustration. The whole point of this project is to have someone who I believe is truly _radiant_ and _unique_ model for me. I am not asking this as your teacher, Seokmin. I’m asking as a fellow student. Would you be my model?”

-

     Seokmin swears to this day that he nearly died right then. Of course, he said yes, and Soonyoung gave him his personal email address with a promise to give him his number as soon as the class was over (Seokmin suppressed a squeal at that). One thing that Seokmin couldn’t get out of his head was the fact that Soonyoung had said, “ _The whole point of this project is to have someone who I believe is truly radiant and unique model for me._ ”

Out of all the faces Soonyoung had seen in his lifetime, he had chosen Seokmin as the model for this project. Just that thought excited Seokmin’s tastebuds.

That had to mean something.

~

 

     “Seok, I think something is actually wrong with Mingyu. He got an 82% on that Algebra test, and he’s been mumbling the first scene of Macbeth under his breath whenever he does homework ever since.” It was 9:04pm on a Wednesday when Seokmin found out that Mingyu can recite almost the entirety of Hamlet with little to no effort, as well as Macbeth, and that Wonwoo thought this was a sign of something. Specifically, his untimely death at the hands of his soulmate.

“People deal with stress in different ways, Wonwoo. Let the boy recite the witch’s curse if it’s what helps him pass Algebra.” Seokmin was trying to wrap this conversation up as quickly and politely as he could, but it was not going well. He loved his friends, and he missed them dearly since they left for college, but he knew that the inevitable Wednesday Night Vomiting would come soon, and he didn’t want to put Wonwoo through that _again_.

“If he kills me in my sleep, I’m gonna haunt the _shit_ out of you, Lee Seokmin.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Seokmin heard Wonwoo laugh through the receiver, as Mingyu yelled “FUCK ME!” in the background. Seokmin could practically see him yanking at his hair.

“I’ll let you guys get to that.” Seokmin grinned and hung up before sending a message to Mingyu that read:

**Me** : dont let ur words become ur actions kim mingyu. the lord is watching u.

 

~

 

      9:15 pm came and went, and Seokmin was very confused. He hadn’t tasted much, but what he did taste was _too_ sweet, almost bitter, like medicine. He briefly wondered if his soulmate was sick, but was soon distracted when he heard his computer _ting_ with an email notification.

It was now almost 10:00, but Seokmin nearly vomited right then.

  **From : Kwon Soonyoung**

**To** : **Group (YF 101 Class)**

**Subject** : **Class Cancellation**

**Hello, class! I am so sorry to contact you all this late at night, but I know that if I’m awake you’re probably awake as well. I regret to inform you -because I know how much you all enjoy my class ;)- that class will be cancelled this Friday. I seem to have contracted some sort of food poisoning, and the school is unable to find a substitute for my class. :(**

**Have a safe weekend! I’ll see you all on Monday! :)**

**Mr. Soon**

 

~

 

     Of course, it was perfectly plausible that Soonyoung had just _coincidentally_ contracted food poisoning the one Wednesday in _nineteen_ _years_ that Seokmin didn’t get sick at _exactly_ 9:15 pm.

It was completely reasonable that Soonyoung’s soulmate just happened to like banana’s, Seokmin’s _favorite thing ever_ , and it was totally acceptable for Soonyoung to gush about his soulmate.

What was not okay, however, was that Seokmin _enjoyed_ attending the class simply to be in the presence of Soonyoung. He _enjoyed_ watching the older boy’s eyes crinkle with laughter, and he _liked_ the way he stood with his hand on his hip when a student gave him an obviously made up excuse for not doing their homework.

He _loved_ looking up during a test and seeing Soonyoung focused so intently on something, his eyebrows furrowing together, and his black hair falling in his eyes. He wanted to rub out the creases in his forehead like Mingyu had done for him so many times. He wanted to force the tension out of his joints that came from teaching a class, and being a student himself.

Seokmin wanted to drown in Sooonyoung’s entire existence, and that thought _terrified_ him.

Soonyoung was still a student at the university, and had only taken this job because he was qualified to teach the course without an actual teaching license. Seokmin knew he wouldn’t stay for very long, and the thought of not seeing Soonyoung three times a week made Seokmin’s head spin.

“ _How did I go my entire life without knowing a smile like his existed?”_ Seokmin had asked Wonwoo that one night when the older told him to “confess his sins.” Wonwoo had audibly cringed, but Seokmin didn’t care.

Seokmin’s tastebuds flared with a familiar spice, and mixed with the citrus tang that was always present on his tongue.

None of this was a coincidence.

He had to talk to Soonyoung.

 

~

 

     Deciding that he _needed_ to talk to Soonyoung was one thing. Actually _doing_ it was completely different.

It took the whole weekend for Seokmin to gather up the courage to just _email_ Soonyoung. Aside from exchanging a passing “goodbye”, that one time after class, and being caught staring at him, - Soonyoung sent Seokmin knowing smirks when he caught him, and Seokmin still had not recovered- Seokmin had never actually talked to Soonyoung. So, when he sent the teacher an email asking if he could talk to him after class on Monday, he didn’t expect an answer.

He really didn’t expect such an informal one.

**To** : **Kwon Soonyoung** ( **Private** )

**From** : **Me**

**Subject** : **Class**

**Hi, Mr. Soon!**

**Quick question: Would you be able to stay after for a few minutes tomorrow to talk? I have a few questions that I would rather ask in person. Thank you in advance!**

**\- Lee Seokmin**

**From : Kwon Soonyoung (Private)**

**To** : **Me**

**Subject** : **Reply**

**hi seokmin!**

**i’m happy to stay after for as long as u need me! ur class is actually my last one of the day, so we can grab dinner if ur free? my treat for being such a great student :) here’s my number if u want to get in touch with me again (***-***-****).**

**i know i said i would give it to u after class was over, but i despise emailing lol.**

**also, just called me soonyoung! i’m only like 3 yrs older than u; don’t make me feel like an old man yet ;)**

**see u tomorrow!**

 

~

 

     “Seokmin, what’s wrong?” he heard his mother yell before she rushed up the stairs. His bedroom door flew open to reveal a very emotional Seokmin clutching his owl pillow in one hand, and his laptop in the other with hot tears streaming down his cheeks. “Baby, what’s wrong?” His mother had always been a cuddler. Whenever her children were sick or hurt, she immediately touched them, even when she was advised not to. Seokmin was nineteen years old, and still found an unyielding comfort in his mother’s arms, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Right now, however, he wasn’t sure why he was crying.

“Seok, tell me what’s wrong, love. I can’t help if you don’t tell me.” His mother was gently dragging her fingers through his hair now, and his breathing had calmed a bit. “Mom, I’m s-so confused.” was all Seokmin could muster. He wanted to throw his laptop across the room, and scream in frustration, but he also wanted to bury himself in his mother’s embrace and cry until he ran out of tears. The latter was becoming overbearing at this point.

“I’m s-so overwhelmed, and I-I don’t know w-what to do!” Seokmin’s mother shushed her son, and tilted his chin up to look her in the eyes while whispering, “Breathe with me, love.” How she always knew exactly what to do would forever be a mystery to Seokmin. He could only hope that he could provide the same comfort for his children.

“I don’t know what I’m feeling, Mom.” Seokmin muttered, rubbing at his eyes in frustration. He could feel that they were puffy and red, and he hated it. “Try to explain it to me, Seok.”

So, he did.

By the time Seokmin had poured out all his inner turmoil to his mother, they had both come to a conclusion: Seokmin was simply infatuated with Soonyoung, and there was nothing wrong with that. Seokmin showed the email to his mother, and she agreed that that was a lot to take in at one time, but she also encouraged Seokmin to go. “You don’t have class after his either, so I think you should go, honey. You two obviously have some things to sort out.” she said. Her hand never stopped tracing Seokmin’s spine throughout the entire conversation, and he was so grateful.

Seokmin’s main concern was that Soonyoung wouldn’t reciprocate his feelings. That did happen to soulmates occasionally; it was rare, but it _did_ happen, and that’s what scared Seokmin the most. What if he was that one unlucky person with a taste in his mouth that wasn’t his soulmate’s? “You’ll never know if you don’t try, Seok.” His mother said that in satoori instead of her fake Seoul dialect, and it gave Seokmin a strange sort of comfort.

If his mother still had the courage to speak in satoori after all these years in Seoul, then he could confront his possible-soulmate/teacher and confess his feelings.

 

~

 

     Seokmin realized two things on that Monday:

1\. Speaking satoori in a city with a over a dozen dialects, and professing his love to his teacher, were two _very_ different things.

2\. He was _fucked_.

He and Soonyoung had decided that after class would be the most convenient time to get started on their first photo shoot. Seokmin was on the verge of hyperventilating for the entire hour Soonyoung was teaching.

Much to Seokmin's distaste, the class ended right on time, and the students dispersed quickly. “Ready to go?” Soonyoung questioned. Seokmin was still gathering his things, while distractedly gazing at how carefully Soonyoung handled his camera. If Soonyoung handled children as delicately as he handled that camera, then Seokmin could understand why children were his favorite to photograph.

“Yeah,” Seokmin eventually answered, slinging his bag onto his shoulder. “Where are we going?” he asked. They hadn't discussed where this outing would take place. “I was assigned three expressions,” Soonyoung began, holding up three fingers and counting. “Happiness, frustration, and serenity. There's a little restaurant down the street called _Green Tree_ that I think would evoke some happiness from you.” Soonyoung smiled when he spoke the last bit, and Seokmin followed the path of his cheeks upwards. He wanted to reach out and trace the crinkles at the sides of his eyes.

With this thought, came a burst of fiery spice behind Seokmin's lips that warned him, “ _Look, but don't touch._ ” Seokmin forced a smile to hide the frustration he felt. Soonyoung was looking at him differently. Like he _saw_ what Seokmin was thinking, and that it was about _him_.

“Stand still,” Soonyoung whispered. He reached for his camera, and adjusted the lense twice before bringing it to his eye. He tilted Seokmin's chin up with two fingers, and pointed the camera towards him.

_Click_.

“ _Perfect_ ,” Soonyoung grinned. Seokmin didn't really know what to do. “What was that?” he asked. “Frustration,” Soonyoung answered. “By the way,” Soonyoung laid his hand at the juncture between Seokmin's neck and shoulder, and made small circles on the skin with his thumb.

“I don't know what you were thinking of, but you don't have to think of it when you're with me. _Relax_.”

So, Seokmin did.

 

~

 

     The last thing that Seokmin expected to happen when he was with Soonyoung is that he would be so _calm_. Seokmin was generally a cautious person when making new friends, which caused him to come off as very shy. Soonyoung, on the other hand, appeared to be loud and outgoing.

But here’s the thing: Soonyoung was the _opposite_.

Soonyoung was _soft_ , and waved at babies in strollers, and held doors open for everyone passing through. Soonyoung was _bright_ , and Seokmin swore that he could see the excitement bubbling up inside of him like a tea kettle when he saw a dog pass them. Soonyoung was _gentle_ , and spoke softly even when they were outdoors, as if he was afraid to scare away the breeze.

Soonyoung was a light rain tapping against the window on a drowsy Sunday morning, and Seokmin wanted to fall into his embrace and stay there until the rain stopped.

 

~

 

     The restaurant they arrived at seemed like a place Soonyoung would enjoy spending time. It was softly lit by the light streaming through the tall windows, and the hanging lanterns against the walls. The dark cedar benches and chairs were covered with evergreen cushions, and small potted succulents sat at the center of every table. Music bounced quietly off the carpeted floor, and Seokmin felt at peace. Soonyoung chose a seat beside the window, and muttered, “I’ve been told before that if you sit at a table on the first date, you’re cursing yourself to a lifetime of hatred from the other person.” He chuckled after he said it, but Seokmin could only blush.

_First date_.

_Did Soonyoung think this was a date?_

Seokmin had secretly hoped that it was, but the nagging voice at the back of his head reminded him that Soonyoung was not his for the taking. He had shoved the idea into a random folder in his brain after that.

A petite, dark-haired girl introduced herself as their waitress, and Soonyoung ordered what he described as, “A workout for my colon” and advised Seokmin not to order the same thing. Seokmin took his advice, and ordered something more his speed: banana pancakes.

Luckily, this restaurant still served breakfast at 4:00pm, and Seokmin was all aboard the breakfast-at-any-time train. “I figured you may get something like that,” Soonyoung said. He was resting his chin in his palm, and smiling at Seokmin in a way that would make anyone’s heart flutter. “You seem like the kind of person that would bake cookies at 8:00pm on a Friday and eat the whole batch instead of going to a party.” Seokmin could tell that Soonyoung didn’t mean that in a bad way.

He was spot-on actually; Seokmin had just done that last Friday. “How did you guess that?” Seokmin questioned. He knew Soonyoung was observant, but he didn’t know he was _that_ observant.

“You fidget a lot, did you know that? You play with the loose strings on your jeans, and you tap your pencils, and twirl that one longer piece of hair around your finger,” Soonyoung then proceeded to grab said piece of hair that hung down further than the rest of Seokmin’s bangs. He spun it around his forefinger, and smiled at Seokmin. “Those are all pretty typical gestures of an introvert. Since I am an introvert myself, I figured you would like the atmosphere of this place. It feels serene.” Soonyoung spoke like he had planned out his words hours prior to this. There was so much raw emotion in his voice, and Seokmin suddenly had an urge to view every photo Soonyoung had ever taken to see if he was able to capture that same emotion through the lense of a camera.

There was that look again.

Soonyoung’s features morphed into something that was mostly business with a hint of, dare he say, _fondness_?

“ _That’s perfect,_ ” Soonyoung whispered, retrieving his camera. He moved to his left a bit to capture the lighting from the window, and brushed a stray hair from Seokmin’s eyebrow.

“ _You’re so perfect._ ”

Soonyoung was gazing at his camera, and Seokmin swore he imagined what he heard. He had to have misheard him. There’s no way Soonyoung would say something so profound to him. Seokmin was assured of Soonyoung’s words when he repeated, louder this time, “ _You’re so perfect_ ” and looked him straight in the eyes.

Seokmin was convinced that Soonyoung could take pictures of every moment of his life, every blink of his eye another snapshot, and they could never capture the gentle love in Soonyoung’s eyes right then. It knocked the breath out of Seokmin’s chest, and ignited the fire that laid dormant on his tongue. Soonyoung was stunning, and Seokmin wanted nothing more than to capture this moment in his mind, and keep it in front of his eyes forever.

“ _Serenity_ ,” Soonyoung mumbled, seemingly coming out of a trance. “We’ll get happiness done very soon.” he giggled, _giggled_ , at that statement, and Seokmin felt his knees go weak even though he was sitting down. “How do you plan to do that?” Seokmin questioned. Soonyoung raised one delicate eyebrow, and smirked playfully at Seokmin the way he had in class. “I have a few ideas,” he responded. Soonyoung looked absolutely devious, but Seokmin was still _so_ _comfortable_.

Honestly, Soonyoung could be planning to murder him as soon as he finishes his pancakes, and Seokmin would probably let him.

“Option number one is going to the dog park and playing with some dogs. Quality shots right there,” Seokmin laughed, and Soonyoung’s smile grew impossibly brighter. “Option number two is this: I can tell you something that is going to make you so happy, you might actually kiss me,” Soonyoung’s smile slackened into an impish grin as he watched the color rise in Seokmin’s cheeks. “Then, there is option number three: we go to the dog park, take some super cute pictures, _and_ I tell you the thing that will make you ridiculously happy.”

“Do I still get to kiss you?” Seokmin blurted out before he could think. Soonyoung laughed with his entire body, and Seokmin decided that he would say _anything_ this boy wanted him to if he got that same reaction each time.

“Of course! If you still want to after I tell you this thing, that is.” Soonyoung seemed nervous, and it gave Seokmin a strange rush of excitement.

Was it his question that made Soonyoung nervous? Or was it just Seokmin, himself? Either way, Seokmin was more than enthused about the possibility of kissing Soonyoung.

 

~

 

     Children had always gravitated to Seokmin. He had no idea why, but he definitely wasn’t opposed to it. This affinity children had with him was actually the reason he had decided to become a teacher. Seokmin wanted children to carry their joy into adulthood, along with a passion for learning. He believed that was his purpose in the world.

Soonyoung felt relatively the same. The only difference between the two was this: Soonyoung wanted to preserve that joy in time, freeze it, and keep those children young forever. “That’s why I take photos,” Soonyoung explained as they walked to the park. “Because every child deserves to live in their youth for as long as they can.”

Soonyoung inspired Seokmin in a way that he had never been inspired before. He wanted to change the world, and treasure the environment, and make his life the best he could _with_ _Soonyoung_.

Seokmin froze.

The air swirled around him, the clouds still hung in the sky, Soonyoung stood by his side, and Seokmin felt _too_ _much_.

He felt Soonyoung’s hand laying gently on his shoulder, and he felt his words enter his ears, but they sounded fuzzy.

He felt his tongue swelling in his throat, and felt the spices crawling up his windpipe, but there was nothing he could do.

_I want a future with Soonyoung._

He felt his breathing become rapid in his panic, and he felt Soonyoung’s hand travel carefully to the back of his neck. Felt it rake through the short hair there, and his own hand being gathered in Soonyoung’s free one.

He saw Soonyoung’s eyes, and they looked the same as his mother’s when she knew all the words he couldn’t say, and she _understood_.

_Soonyoung understood._

Seokmin’s breathing calmed, and the spice coating his tongue turned to something sweeter. He couldn’t put a finger on what the taste was.

It was honey tea on a cold morning, and the warm biscuits his mother made on New Year’s Eve, and the butter cookies his father brought home from work when he was younger, and the comfort he felt whenever those flavors consumed his tastebuds.

Soonyoung was his _comfort_ , and the signs had all been there. Seokmin just wasn’t looking in the right places for them.

Soonyoung intertwined their fingers, pulled Seokmin closer to him, and rested their foreheads together. Soonyoung tapped Seokmin on the cheek, and looked into his eyes. Soonyoung’s eyes looked like the entire night sky, pierced with stars of pure _safety_. A few breaths passed before Soonyoung spoke:

“ ** _I want a future with you, too, Seokmin._** ”

Seokmin’s tongue nearly burst into flames.

He took a deep breath because, _he said that out loud, oh god,_ and because Soonyoung basically just _confessed_ to him.

The spice creeped back into Seokmin’s throat, and he looked up into Soonyoung’s eyes. He hadn’t even noticed that Soonyoung had separated their hands and brought his camera close to his chest.

“ _I’m your soulmate, Seokmin_.”

Soonyoung’s face bloomed into the most gorgeous smile Seokmin had ever seen, and he knew that Soonyoung was the most _radiant_ person he’d ever laid eyes on.

Seokmin sucked in a breath, and he couldn’t help himself when he mirrored Soonyoung’s expression.

_Click_.

Soonyoung inspected the picture for a moment before meeting Seokmin’s eyes. “I think I know what would make an even better picture.” he said. He had that grin on his face again, and Seokmin didn’t have time to ask what he meant before Soonyoung pulled him close and connected their lips.

Soonyoung made Seokmin wish that he hadn’t kissed that one girl in his first year of high school. He wished that his first memory of a kiss was with Soonyoung. He wished he could’ve felt Soonyoung’s lips on his own before this moment.

Once again, Seokmin was left questioning how he’d lived his entire life without Soonyoung in it.

The kiss was hardly a whisper against Seokmin’s lips; that’s how _gentle_ Soonyoung really was. His hand rested firmly at the back of Seokmin’s neck, stroking light shapes into his skin, while his other hand rested on Seokmin’s hip, holding him securely in place.

Soonyoung seemed afraid that Seokmin would run away. Seokmin, however, was perfectly content to stay in that position for the rest of time- his hands resting on Soonyoung’s strong chest, and his tongue burning with what he could only describe as _love_.

Soonyoung pulled away slowly, and left lingering kisses on the apples of Seokmin’s cheeks, the tip of his nose, and one last kiss on his lips.

_Click_.

Seokmin could hardly open his eyes because of his smile. “ _The greatest gift anyone can receive is the happiness of their soulmate,_ ” Seokmin quoted _The Taste Of Your Future._ He despised the book, but this particular quote had some relevance.

“ _You’re mine?”_ he asked. He was still weary about this whole situation, and how real it all was. His tastebuds still felt hot, and he knew that Soonyoung was _his_ _soulmate_ , but he needed to hear him say it.

“ _All yours_.”

 

~ 

 

      " _Are you fucking kidding me, Lee Seokmin_?” Mingyu was _very_ excited to say the least.

Seokmin had called him as soon as Soonyoung had dropped him off at home. He’d kissed him again, and Seokmin could still feel the tingling on his lips.

“I am not kidding you, Kim Mingyu,” Seokmin replied. He was trying his best not to scream. “The hot teacher from the class I didn’t want to take is _my fucking_ _soulmate_.” “You’re absolutely positive?” Mingyu questioned. There were circumstances where a person had thought they found their soulmate, and had really just contracted the flu. Seokmin prayed that wasn’t the case. “We’ll find out, I guess. I’m pretty sure, though.”

“How do you feel?” Mingyu was still his best friend, and he had his time to be excited. Now he was worried about Seokmin’s well-being. “I feel physically fine. Different, but not a bad different. Like all of my organs have been powerwashed, or I took a really good shit. Something like that.”

“I get that,” Mingyu responded. They had a mutual respect for each other’s abilities to grossly describe things.

“Are your lips are tingly? You kissed him right? Did you get _dicked_?”

“ _Mingyu_! _No_!”

“I need to know these things, Seokmin!” They continued like this for another hour, until Wonwoo arrived home and told Mingyu, “Chill the hell out, puppy, or I’ll be forced to inform Seokmin every time _you get dicked_.”

Mingyu got really quiet. Seokmin laughed so hard he couldn’t breathe.

He could do this for the rest of his life.

 

~

 

     Seokmin wasn’t used to someone being so _enamored_ with him.

On Wednesday, Soonyoung was basically only teaching to Seokmin. His eyes didn’t leave Seokmin’s for the entire two hour class. The rest of the class seemed to notice, and one girl spoke up when the class was coming to an end.

“Mr. Kwon, I don’t mean to intrude, but why are you only looking at Seokmin? I feel like I’m interrupting an intimate moment.” Soonyoung turned to face the girl, and didn’t even hesitate to answer.

“Ms. Sowon, have you met your soulmate?” he asked. “No, I haven’t.” Sowon wasn’t afraid to answer. For some people, not knowing their soulmate is considered shameful. Soonyoung smiled good-naturedly.

“Trust me when I say this: when you do meet them, _you won’t be able to keep your eyes off of them._ ”

 

~

 

     Another thing that Seokmin wasn’t used to was someone being _so sweet_.

Soonyoung wasn’t just sweet, though; he was ice cream on a hot Summer day, and the rich coffee Seokmin loved to bring him from Vanilla Cafe; he was a cream soda at an amusement park, and cotton candy an hour later.

After just a month, Soonyoung had become such a prevalent figure in Seokmin’s life that he physically felt something missing when he wasn’t around.

Soonyoung’s major commanded so much of his attention, and Seokmin understood that completely, but Soonyoung always made sure to make his presence known even when he wasn’t with Seokmin.

He came to Seokmin’s house at 7:00am sometimes, and made banana pancakes for his entire family- Seokmin’s mother had given Soonyoung a key soon after she’d met him-, and Seokmin couldn’t help the tears that threatened to fall when he imagined this as his life.

When they were living on their own, both successful in their respective careers, this exact scene might play out.

Seokmin imagined a different environment, with a ring on his finger, and a couple of children running between the two of them. Maybe they’d even have a dog or two.

“Sunshine, what’s wrong?” Seokmin hadn’t realized that he was crying as he sat and watched Soonyoung make breakfast, so at home in his home. Soonyoung sat down a spatula, and moved around the counter to cup Seokmin’s face in his hands, and kissed his cheeks.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Seokmin responded, smiling up at Soonyoung. “Everything is _perfect_.”

And everything really was perfect.

Soonyoung smiled and returned to the stove after whispering a soft, “I love you, Sunshine.”

The ever-present spice found it’s way back to Seokmin’s tastebuds, but he didn’t mind now.

 

It was the taste of his future, and it tasted _perfect_.

 

 

~

**Author's Note:**

> tysm for reading! let me know if you enjoyed it, if you hated it, or you know how i could make it better in the comments or my social media! this is not the end of this au, so stay tuned! have a wonderful day/night!
> 
> twt: triptyvh  
> cc: triptyvh
> 
> ~ cj


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